In many technical layouts, such as transmissions for wind power plants, ships or motor vehicles, in automotive or industrial transmissions, in internal combustion engines, but also in bearings, cylinder liners, turbochargers or other mechanical systems, mechanical parts are usually in motion relative to each other.
Friction occurs during the relative motion between such parts. The resulting frictional losses consist, on the one hand, in wearing of the surfaces rubbing together of the parts moving relative to each other, which can lead directly to damage and to failure of the technical layouts. On the other hand, frictional heat is produced, which can lead to uncontrolled expansion of the parts. On the whole, frictional losses result in diminished performance or worsened efficiency of the technical layout. Furthermore, damage to the moving parts can occur, and as a consequence erosion or corrosion, for example.
In order to prevent or at least delay the wear resulting from friction, service fluids are used in technical layouts that are supposed to reduce the friction between the parts. For example, one customarily uses for this greases or lubricants. These separate the parts moving relative to each other by wetting their surfaces with a lubricating or sliding film. Many greases and lubricants have been developed for this in the most diverse compositions and configurations.
Despite this use of greases or lubricants, wear still occurs rather often between parts moving relative to each other because the lubricating or sliding film can become detached under pressure and/or at increasing temperature. The frictional losses increase, which is especially disadvantageous in technical layouts that are exposed to high or permanent loads, such as wind power plants, ships, or industrial plants. The lifetime of such technical layouts is therefore limited. The operating and maintenance expenses are correspondingly high.
To deal with this problem, agents or aggregates have been developed that are mixed in with the service fluid. These are supposed to prevent the lubricating or sliding film between the parts moving relative to each other from breaking down or becoming detached. One such agent is known, for example, from DE 10 2004 063 835 A1. It comprises muscovite, K{Al2(OH)2[AlSi3O10]}, and kaolinite, Al2(OH)4[Si2O5]. As further components, a sodium magnesium hydroxide silicate Na2Mg4Si6O16(OH)2 can be provided, and also optionally an abrasive, such as lizardite, Mg3(OH)4[Si2O5]. The agent is essentially suitable for mixing in with a service fluid of a technical layout, whereupon the surface properties of the parts are altered, in particular, the friction between the parts moving relative to each other is supposed to be reduced in order to improve the lifetime of the technical layout.
However, the production of such an agent is relatively costly. Thus, one must first fragment the minerals provided as the components in rough manner and then in fine manner, until the desired grain size is achieved. After a selection of the resulting particles in terms of density, weight and grain size, the unwanted material admixtures are removed. Only then can the powderlike aggregate be mixed in with the service fluid. Another problem is that the described aggregate after being mixed in with service fluids such as motor or transmission oil will usually become sedimented and therefore is hard to dispense. What is more, an agglomeration of the various ingredients sometimes occurs, which means that the aggregate may get stuck on filter elements of the technical layout, i.e., the aggregate is separated from the service fluid and therefore can no longer perform its task. Furthermore, the pores of the filters can become clogged, so that they need to be cleaned or replaced more often, which further increases the operating and maintenance expenses. Yet filter elements are necessary in many technical layouts in order to guarantee a permanent cleaning of the service fluid. Thus, the known aggregate is extremely impractical and complicated in its handling.